Enemies in DmC: Devil May Cry

This is a list of the enemies found in DmC: Devil May Cry

Lesser Demons
The enemies in DmC follow a design similar to the past Devil May Cry enemies, particularly mannequins, opting for a more creepy appearance with veins and exposed bits of rubbery flesh, giving them more of a sense of realism than past enemies. When they are struck, many "bleed" a substance said to be quite similar to black paint.

Lesser Stygian
The most common enemy in DmC, Stygians are very agile and their body weight is enough to dent the top of cars, despite their slim build. As of now, there are a few known variants; one with a giant razor blade on its arm, and another with clubbed with nails in it. Earlier versions of their concept referred to them as "Warrior Drones."

Stygian
A higher version of the Stygian with pronounced horns of black goo rising from its body and a bladed arm. They behave much like the lesser Stygians, but can perform two-step combination attacks, and can block Dante's melee actions. Firearms will knock away their guard.

Ravager
The Ravager is an enemy, like the Stygian, that wields a weapon in place of its arm, in this case a large chainsaw. The Ravager will often charge up the chainsaw, glowing orange as it does so. During this charging phase, the Ravager will not stagger unless hit by the strongest attacks. The Ravager can swipe its chainsaw, but can also rush forward with the weapon to impale Dante.

Death Knight
Like the Stygian, the Death Knight possesses a razor blade instead of an arm, but also employs a shield to protect itself. Their shields can be broken through successive blows, but they can deflect and counter weaker weapons, so it is best to use strong weapons like the Arbiter or Eryx to first smash through their shields, leaving them vulnerable. Shown in the Gamescom 2012 trailer, they can be aligned to either fire or ice, requiring they match the same style as Dante's demon and angel weapons. Hell Knights can corrupt the ground with a searing blaze, while Frost Knights can release waves of ice that can freeze targets, although this can also be parried to freeze them as well.

Dreamrunner
An agile enemy that flips about the area, attacking with the blades it holds in each hand. It looks vaguely human, wearing a tattered tasset around its waist and a red grinning mask. It has the ability to travel around through portals it creates, and can deflect many of Dante's sword and bullet attacks, even countering his aerial combos.

Drekavac
A stronger version of the Dreamrunner which appears to combat Dante on several occasions before finally revealing it's name before entering the Furnace of Souls. It wears a red mask instead of Dreamrunner's blue, and is far more agile and capable of countering.

Elite Stygian
A variation of the Stygian with some semblance of a human-like face, showing off a large toothy mouth. They are seen with a large serrated blade in place of their right arm. Grinning Stygians are able to produce a shockwave from their blade-arms, similar to Arbiter's Tremor attack, and can easily sidestep to avoid Dante's grappling abilities.

Bathos
Gold cherub-like demons that fly around in the air. Their abdomen is an open cavity filled with fire, which they shoot explosive charges from. Their bombs can be deflected back at them, making short work of them, otherwise the bombs will explode moments after hitting the ground. The ensuing blast can also damage other demons caught in it. In later encounters with the golden Bathos, they will also employ shields.

Pathos
A demonic cherub who specializes in long range attacks from the air using a crossbow that shoots balls of fire. They can also carry a small shield that deflects attacks, and will need to be torn from their arm before Dante can deal damage. Earlier versions of their concept referred to them as "Stingers."

Harpy
A humanoid demon, much like the Stygian, but with wings to fly about the area. Seen in both Nightclub and Subway gameplay, the Harpy attacks by swooping in, or by using a large spear-like weapon from a safe distance, all while producing piercing shrieks. They can easily avoid Dante's Demon Pull, and will sometimes release an explosive wave of air that also protects them from damage.

Witch
A female humanoid with several troublesome powers. She can create a shield around herself to block attacks, and can even move the shield to other enemies Dante is focusing on, although this leaves her vulnerable. The shield can be destroyed by Angel-aligned weapon, but can also be dispersed in an explosive blast. The Witch can teleport around the area, even while getting hit in combos, and can also summon swords to throw at Dante. Her swords can be parried and Demon Pulled away if quick action is taken.

Rage
A feral creature that hunts in packs, the Rage fights by swiping its claws as rolling around like a wheel. Normally encountered two at a time, defeating one will enrage the one left alive, giving them enhanced ferocity and damage. Killing Rages together is recommended to prevent a longer, more difficult battle from ensuing. Smaller, Rage Spawn can also be encountered in large groups to make up for their less-than-stellar ferocity.

There are also two aligned versions of the Rage as well; the Blood Rage can only be harmed by demon-aligned weapons, while the Ghost Rage can only be harmed by angel-aligned weapons.

Tyrant
The Tyrant is one of the strongest enemies introduced so far in DmC. Liberal use of the Arbiter will help to crack its tough hide that bullets bounce right off of; and they can be directly countered and even juggled with Eryx's charged punches. They use their massive frames to rush at and crush Dante. Earlier versions of their concept referred to them as "Tank Drones."

Butcher
A large, robotic adversary with two large buzzsaws in place of either hand. In the center of their mechanized stomach sits an orange sphere, housing a vaguely humanoid face that looks out at the world. Their size is comparable to that of a Tyrant, and their frame gives them a wide reach.

CCTV Camera
Several CCTV cameras in Limbo city appear to be infested by demonic beings. If a CCTV Camera spots Dante, it can pull him into Limbo, and block passages off. To proceed, he will have to destroy the eye stalk.

Demonic Shards
While demons appear in Limbo to attack Dante like white blood cells, Demonic Shards are pieces of the city itself that are torn away from their foundation by Malice, which then seek to attack. They appear to spawn in a liquid form similar to blood, before crystallizing and shattering to form spikes which will harm Dante. The only defense shown to be effective against them is to shoot the shards with firearms, as getting too close can cause damage, simply because it spins violently before it launches itself towards Dante.

Boss Demons
Most of the high-ranking demons that control Limbo City have a human guise that they wear, and can control vast amounts of Malice
 * The Hunter
 * Poison
 * Bob Barbas
 * Lilith
 * Killing Face
 * Mundus

Other

 * Gameplay demos revealed that Limbo is inhabited by spider-like creatures. They do not appear to be dangerous as they flee at Dante's approach. Dante is able to kill them with any weapon for Red Orbs, hinting that they may be demonic in origin.

Background
"Stygian" is a word used to describe things from the River Styx, which runs through the underworld of Hades in Greek Mythology.

A tyrant is someone who illegally seizes a position of power through brute force. Tyrant also shares its name with one of the infamous biological weapons from the Resident Evil video game series, another franchise developed by Capcom.

The Ravager's use of the chainsaw as a weapon, is similar to Doctor Salvador and the Chainsaw Majini of Resident Evil

A Drekavac is a creature derived from Slavic Mythology. Its name roughly translates to "the screamer."

"Pathos" is a Greek term meaning "suffering" and is commonly used in order to refer to the expression of emotion, or an appeal to them. Similarly, "Bathos" refers to a failed attempt at achieving Pathos, resulting in an anti-climax.

A "harpy" is a creature derived from Greek mythology, with the appearance of  a woman with wings, and in later depictions, a bird with a woman's head. They were known for stealing from Phineus, the King of Thrace (a character with the same name appears in-game)